Obituary: Kenneth MorphisKenneth F. Morphis, age 78, of Russellville, died Monday, July 24, 2017, at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. He was born July 31, 1938, in Dover, to Garland Morphis and Zelma Bowden Morphis Britton. He was a Jehovah’s Witness at the Russellville Kingdom Hall on 16th Street and also an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by a step-father, Gene Britton; and a brother, Johnny Britton....

Obituary: Allen PhillipsDANVILLE — Allen Phillips, age 47, of Kingston, passed away Wednesday, July 19, 2017, at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, Ill. He was born Aug. 6, 1969, in Russellville, to the late Thomas Allen and Barbara Ann Miller Phillips Sr. He was a journeyman wireman electrician and a member of IBEW 700 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Fort Smith. He is preceded in death by his parents, twin brother and sister, Timmy and Tammy P...

Obituary: Floy CaseyFloy Casey, age 87, of Lockhart, Texas, recently of Russellville, died Monday, July 24, 2017, at home. She was born to Floyd Houston and Annie Summers Ketcherside in South New Hope on April 3, 1930. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Louis Casey. Survivors include a son, Robert Louis Casey, of Russellville; three grandchildren, Albert Louis Casey and wife, Krystal of Lockhart, Texas, Aileen Heil of Russellvil...

A camp of another kindThe Community Science Network recently conducted its 10th annual summer science camp in the STEM Center at the Russellville High School. This year, the camp consisted of two week-long sessions, one in June and one in July, for first through sixth graders. The theme, Top Ten Science, included the top ten chemical reactions, animals and inventions. On July 13, campers got to experience up close and personal encounter with snakes.

Pottsville's trade agreement for pump station cancelledPOTTSVILLE — Last May, the city of Pottsville had an agreement with James Blaylock to swap land to install a pump station. Recently, Blaylock decided not to make the trade, according to Mayor Jerry Williams. The trade entailed a city owned 50’ x 50’ piece of property that houses a building with a small pump station where the old tank is for a 30’ x 35’ piece of land owned by Blaylock closer to the road. Williams explained the city needs the la...

Now hiring at Amazon: Thousands of people in 1 dayNEW YORK — Amazon plans to make thousands of job offers in just one day as it holds a giant job fair next week at nearly a dozen warehouses across the U.S. Those offered jobs on the spot will pack or sort boxes and help ship them to customers. Nearly 40,000 of the 50,000 jobs will be full time. Most of these jobs will count toward Amazon's previously announced goal of adding 100,000 full-time workers by the middle of next year. The hiring spre...

Mixed day as investors eye reportsNEW YORK -- Stocks mostly fell on Monday, and broad-market indexes inched modestly backward at the start of a busy week of corporate earnings reports and a meeting of the Federal Reserve. Technology stocks, though, added to their big gains for the year and helped push the Nasdaq composite to another record. The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 2.63 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,469.91 after nine of the 11 sectors that make up the index logged losses....

By a hair, Senate votes to debate GOP health care billWASHINGTON — With Vice President Mike Pence breaking a 50-50 tie, the Senate voted by a hair Tuesday to start debating Republican legislation to tear down much of the Obama health care law. The vote gives President Donald Trump and GOP leaders a crucial initial victory but launches a weeklong debate promising an uncertain final outcome. The 51-50 vote kept alive hopes of delivering on promises that countless Republican candidates have campaign...

McCain's return cheers fellow Republican senatorsWASHINGTON — Applause and whoops greeted Sen. John McCain, who is battling brain cancer, as he returned to the Capitol on Tuesday to vote for moving ahead on legislation to dismantle Obamacare The 80-year-old McCain had a visible scar above his left eye after doctors removed a blood clot earlier this month. Days after the surgery, the senator disclosed that he had a brain tumor and had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. "Stop li...

How smugglers use trucks with sometimes deadly resultsCHICAGO -- It could take months for investigators to determine what preceded the deaths of at least nine people found with dozens of ailing individuals in a tractor-trailer discovered outside a Walmart in San Antonio, Texas, in what authorities are calling an immigrant-smuggling attempt gone wrong. But previous cases of smugglers using similar trucks to move human cargo shed light on the dangerous method of human trafficking -- and how it can ...

Man from brief reality TV show admits to hunting violationsSEARCY — An Arkansas man who starred on the short-lived reality TV show "American Stuffers" and his son have pleaded guilty to hunting violations in central Arkansas. Court records show 40-year-old Daniel Ross of Romance and 19-year-old Hunter Ross of Rose Bud pleaded guilty last Tuesday in White County District Court to misdemeanor charges and each was fined $8,500. Daniel Ross pleaded guilty to hunting during a closed season, night hunting a...

Man attacked, robbed after stopping to help in ArkansasMOUNTAIN HOME — Authorities say a man was attacked and robbed after stopping to help what he thought was a stranded motorist in north-central Arkansas. Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery says the man told deputies he was driving on Highway 201 north of Mountain Home on Sunday when he came across a car blocking a bridge. Montgomery says the man told deputies he stopped, thinking the motorist needed help and instead, a man got out of the car ...

Mayor wants to hear from publicDue to the overwhelming response of a previous article in The Courier about the reallocation of the city's one-cent sales tax, Mayor Randy Horton said he wanted to host some dedicated meetings with residents before the Russellville City Council takes further action. "Before we do anything drastic, we plan on hosting some dedicated meetings to inform the public," he said. "We want to hear from the people what they want us to do before we move f...

At one time, all bicycles were, really, "At one time, all bicycles were, really, "dirt bikes." In cycling's earliest days, wheelmen--and women--followed uneven gravel roads and rough paths to get from point "a" to point "b" and for the sheer joy of the ride. Today, many cyclists have rediscovered the fun and challenges of unpaved riding, and Arkansas's state parks offer a variety of such opportunities. You could spend a couple of days checking out all of the great Arkansas mountain b...

MSM FestivalMain Street Mission Festival, a benefit fundraiser for Main Street Mission in Russellville, was conducted at the Pope County Fairgrounds Saturday. Activities included a car show, food, games and music by DJ some guy named robb.

The big 'oar' dealWhen Dale Burris, 62, isn't working at his shop, Heritage Window and Door, he's thinking about, riding in or working on his marathon canoe skills. "It's a lot of practice hours," Burris said. "I practice every night with my wife, Rebecca, on Lake Dardanelle, the Illinois Bayou, the Arkansas River. It takes that to be competitive." Marathon canoe racing isn't what most people think of when they think of canoeing. Burris said it's difficult for ...

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BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
simpson@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Man to be formally charged in Ten Commandments destructionLITTLE ROCK — A prosecutor says he plans to charge a man accused of crashing his vehicle into a Ten Commandments monument outside the Arkansas Capitol with first-degree criminal mischief. Larry Jegley told The Associated Press Monday that 32-year-old Michael Tate Reed faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the felony charge. His attorney wasn't immediately available for comment. Reed was arrested last month after Little Rock police say...

Obituary: George BeasleyDARDANELLE — George William Beasley, age 79, of Ola, died Saturday, July 22, 2017. He was born Aug. 2, 1937, at Bluffton, to the late Jess and Velma James Beasley. He was a retired United States Air Force veteran, a member of the Cowboy Church in Centerville and was a member of the Cowboy Band. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Bertha (Babe) Beasley; two brothers, Billy Beasley, Jessie Beasley Jr. and one sister, Mary Beasley....

Obituary: Billy HelmsCLARKSVILLE — Billy Joe Helms, passed away Sunday, July 23, 2017, at his residence. He was born May 2, 1938 at Helena. Billy was married to the love of his life, Martha Deiss on Sept. 27, 1958 in Helena. He and Martha were childhood sweethearts. They enjoyed time with family and sporting events. Billy was preceded in death by his parents P.H. and Mary Helms, mother Betty and Dick Burns and one brother James Helms. Survivors include his wife Ma...